Lessons in sport: Girls inspired by pros Emily Gielnik and Akec Makur Chuot
Female representation in a wide variety of professional sports has been identified as one of the key drivers in encouraging girls to participate in sport at school and beyond.
At Wesley, we’re proud to have alumni across many sporting fields, from one of Australia’s greatest netballers Sharelle McMahon, who was recently honoured with a statue outside Olympic Park, to world champion triathlete Emma Carney (OW1989), Olympic race walker Jemima Montag (OW2016), WNBA player Alanna Smith (OW2014) and AFLW players Pepa Randall (OW2013), Jas Fleming (OW2022) and Zoe Savarirayan (OW2022). The students always seem so inspired after hearing about or from people who started out in sport at school, just like them.
Millie, Year 10, plays football for Wesley. ‘Personally, I think it’s very important to have female leaders and role models in the sporting world. I think it’s absolutely necessary for the progression of women’s sport that women are seen and represent as it inspires girls to actually play sport.’
On 11 October – the UN ‘International Day of the Girl Child’ - Millie, along with other girls from Years 6 to 11, were thrilled to meet Akec Makur Chuot (former AFLW Hawthorn) and Matilda’s soccer player, Emily Gielnik and hear about their experiences playing professional sport.
April, Year 10, attended on the day and reflects that it's extremely important to have female representation in pro level sports. 'Especially in sports such as the AFL as it’s so heavily male-focused,' April said. 'It gives young sporty girls someone to look up too, at such a high level too.'
Millie follows the AFLW but would like to see more experienced female coaches in the ranks to provide more depth. ‘I believe it’s important to have female AFLW role models as it will encourage more girls to be involved in the game, which will lead to greater depth [in the AFLW] and experience in the future.’
Head of Coach of Wesley Football, Brent Thiele, said, ‘We have seen a definite increase in participation in footy from our female students in recent years, with more than 100 girls now playing AFL. Part of the reason seems to be that the profile of women in footy has risen since the introduction of the AFLW, and girls are seeing pathways available to them to continue playing into the future.
‘Our Girls’ football program has gone from strength to strength since its introduction. We are proud to offer dedicated programs to nurture students’ talents and passions, and teams for all abilities from Years 5 to 12. My team and I have made significant effort to promote and align both the Wesley College Boys and Girls footy programs, from jumper presentation and best and fairest evenings to elite coaching from specialist coaches including AFLW North Melbourne Head Coach, Darren Crocker.’
At Wesley, girls compete in the highly competitive Associated Public Schools (APS) and Associated Grammar Schools of Victoria (AGSV) competitions in a range of sports including football, cricket, rowing, swimming, netball, gymnastics, soccer, snow sports and more. There are a total of 22 sports on offer to students across the College. With more than 680 teams, there are opportunities for all students from Years 5 to 12 to get involved in novice to advanced teams.
Wesley has enjoyed a fantastic year in sport, winning a ‘triple double’ and a total of seven APS Premierships in Tennis (Boys and Girls leagues), Athletics (Boys and Girls leagues), Cross Country (Boys and Girls leagues) and Boys Basketball.
We can’t wait to see who will go on to become the next Sharelle, Emma or Jas!
